Cardiovascular Alterations Sudden Death of

Cardiovascular Alterations Sudden death of teenage athletes due to cardiovascular alterations has become very common these days. Bille et al., (2006) pointed out that sudden cardiac deaths in athletes under the age of 18 years are very common and are caused due to the pre-existing cardiac abnormalities. Most of these abnormalities do not have symptoms which make it difficult to determine and hardly very few athletes with abnormalities are diagnosed before sudden death (Maron, 2003).

This case is also one of such tragic events and raises many questions as the athlete already had a physical examination prior to death. The examination was performed by an advanced practice nurse but unfortunately she was not able to diagnose the problem. The nurse did hear a grade II/VI systolic murmur loudly at the apex of the heart but she ignored it considering it normal for athletes. The patient did not have any cardiac problems, indeed no medical history.

The family history also did not show case of any cardiac death and all other test results were also normal so he was considered fit by the nurse and not restricted for any activity. The findings show that the main factor responsible for this sudden death was the behaviour of the victim. He was an athlete and therefore his diagnosis and treatment both were affected due to his behaviour. He was identified with systolic murmur II/VI which means he was grade 2 on a scale of 1-6.

This is the reason that murmur was clearly heard and the nurse also found out that the murmur was loudest at the apex. The examiners often get confuse with the murmuring issue due to the cardiac changes that are common in athletes. These murmurs are normal in athletes and usually benign since they develop from high cardiac activity. No medical complaints, no family history and normal results of other tests, assured the clinical nurse that the athlete was perfect.

Considering at the statistics of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes; it is necessary to take symptoms seriously in young athletes. Murmur should be carefully diagnosed focusing on the grade, location, pitch and radiation of the murmur. It is necessary in such situation to take steps for further diagnosis and access the severity of the issue. The patient should be referred to the specialist or further tests like electrocardiogram (ECG) and chest x-ray should be performed to identify any hidden cardiac disorder.

The cardiovascular screening of the young athletes by ECG, along with history and physical examination is recommended to know the cardiac position of athletes in detail. An athlete examining nurse should remember that careful identification of heart murmurs is a very valuable tool for diagnosing and preventing cardiac deaths. If a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is not diagnosed and treated immediately, it will simply result in sudden cardiac death.

Therefore, it is very crucial for all the nurses examining the athletes to carefully differentiate the murmurs of the behaviors of athletes and recommend if it is safe for them to continue sports behaviour. Discussion 2: Anaphylactic Shock Anaphylaxis shock is a very dangerous and life threatening allergy reaction that needs right, quick and aggressive treatment on time. Due to lack of recognition, the exact evidence of this condition is difficult to know.

There are also no laboratory markers or any particular tests that can be used in the emergency to diagnose this situation. According to the Canadian Pediatric Surveillance Program it is "a severe allergic reaction to any stimulus, having sudden onset and generally lasting less than 24 hours, involving one or more body systems and producing one or more symptoms such as hives, flushing, itching, angioedema, stridor, wheezing, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea or shock" (Simons, Chad and Gold, 2002, p.109).

Age and genetics are the two factors that have affect on the treatment of the patient. If a child suffering from multisystem physiologic progression like breathing problem, skin rash, hives, flushing or swelling of lips, is brought to the emergency, then he should be immediately given epinephrine without waiting for the reaction to get severe. Epinephrine using auto-injector is the most effective emergency treatment for anaphylaxis attack. Blood pressure should also be measured after every few minutes.

In addition, an ambulance should be called and child should be taken immediately to the hospital. The parents should also be informed and called to the hospital.